Save on back-to-school clothes shoppingThe back to school season can be bittersweet. Parents may miss having their youngsters around the house when summer officially ends, but it’s also fun for parents to watch kids partake in all that school has to offer. One of the things few parents look forward come the end of summer vacation is back-to-school shopping. Such shopping can be costly, especially when it’s time to outfit kids with new wardrobes. While a complete wardrobe overhaul m...

Planning after-school activities for your kidsFun and learning can extend beyond the classroom. From music and the arts to organized sports, after-school activities can help kids stay active and make lifelong friends. Here are some great tips to keep kids active and engaged during the afternoon: • Sign up early: Many programs fill up fast. Be sure to sign your kids up for programs as soon as possible to ensure their enrollment. • Listen to your kids: As much as you would like your child t...

Back-to-school tips to get your kids to read moreThe start of a new school year is a great time to emphasize the importance of reading at home. Solid readers perform better in school and in the workplace, have a healthy self-image, and become lifelong learners. Research shows a whopping 45 percent of children ages 3 to 5 are not read to daily, and this lack of literature can take a negative toll on school performance. Luckily, there are many things parents can do to make kids passionate read...

Protect your children from cyberbullyingMost parents are familiar with traditional bullying that takes place at school and on the playground, but as life has gone digital, so has bullying. “Cyberbullying, bullying that occurs through technology like computers and mobile devices, is often harder to detect than traditional bullying. The bully isn’t immediately visible and may not even be known to the victim,” says pediatrician Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe of the American Academy of Ped...

Parents urged to get 7th-grade students vaccinatedThe Pope County Health Unit and the Russellville School District are urging parents of seventh-grade school children to schedule appointments now for their children’s Tdap (Tetanus, Diptheria and Pertussis) booster vaccination. The vaccination, in its third year of requirement, prevents against whooping cough, which has become a serious concern in children, according to Pope County Health Unit administrator Pam Sellers. “The reason for this ne...

Teachers make preparations to return to schoolAn end-to-summer vacation for students and teachers around the Arkansas River Valley is fast approaching. School begins Aug. 20 for students, but teachers go back a week, sometimes two weeks before students arrive to plan and prepare. Back to school means school supply lists, new clothing and last-minute challenges at home and at school. Dover Elementary special education teacher Diana Ramberg said she and colleagues return to school on Aug. 1...

Back to school shoppingIt is just a few weeks before school starts again and with the 2012 Arkansas sales tax holiday coming up this weekend, it is a perfect time to get the needed school supplies and clothes and save a little money. But just what is a sales tax holiday and what exactly does that mean for a parent? It means parents around the Arkansas River Valley and across the state can save on school supplies and clothing for the entire family by not having to pa...

Professor recruits residents for filmA handful of Russellville-area residents may get their break on the big screen next year after a University of Central Arkansas (UCA) professor recruited them as extras in a scene he shot Friday night for his second feature film. Associate professor of digital filmmaking Joe Dull began shooting for his second film, “Sympathy Pains,” on July 1. The scene shot Friday night — estimated to take up about a minute of the film — involves locals danci...

RSD acquires grant for ABC programThe Russellville School District will receive funds to take in up to 134 Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) students, after Colorado-based Community Development Inc. declined to retain the program beyond the last academic year. Jenny Barber, Russellville School District supervisor of federal program, said Community Development Inc. — which took over Child Development Inc.’s operations after the federally-funded institution fell to financial woes — d...

Russellville School Board election setThree Russellville School Board members will face competition when election day arrives Sept. 18. The filing period for school board candidates ended Tuesday. James D. Cole will challenge incumbent Chris Cloud for the Russellville Zone 1 seat on the board. Morgan Barrett is unopposed in Zone 2, and Allen George is unopposed in Zone 4. Margie Smith will face Gina M. Skelton for the Zone 3 seat. Breanne Davis is being challenged by Christina Rou...

Ed Board considers rules on academic distress, religion in preschoolsLITTLE ROCK — The state Board of Education on Monday approved for public comment proposed changes in the way schools are designated as academically distressed and gave final approval to a rule prohibiting the use of state early childhood education money to fund religious activities at preschools. Currently, an Arkansas school district is identified as academically distressed if 75 percent or more of its students perform below the basic level o...

Moll embraces new role at Arkansas TechWhen Ray Moll was offered an opportunity to serve as associate dean for student success at Arkansas Tech University, his only concern was that he might lose the connection with students that he enjoyed as a faculty member. That concern was quickly resolved by the steady traffic that now passes through his office in the Doc Bryan Student Services Building on a daily basis. “That’s the exciting part for me,” Moll said. “I was concerned that leav...

Lessons LearnedKiwanis summer day campers at the Boys and Girls Club of the Arkansas River Valley were taught lessons Wednesday in bicycle and fire safety from Russeville police and fire department personnel. Russellville Police Department (RPD) Public Information Officer Drew Latch and Officer Chris Isbell talked bicycle safety with the children using their “bicycle rodeo,” showing them the ropes of proper bicycle etiquette and safety. “The program is to pr...

Board supports terminationTrustees at Arkansas Tech University voted unanimously to affirm a personnel decision by ATU President Dr. Robert C. Brown and deny a grievance by former softball coach Gidget Pambianchi during a special called board meeting on Monday. Pambianchi was relieved of her duties as head softball coach in March. Employee grievance procedures at ATU state appeals shall be heard by the Board of Trustees, and the decisions made by trustees are “final an...

Dardanelle School Board fills vacancyDARDANELLE — The Dardanelle School Board voted to appoint Northeast Yell County Water employee Brandon Carter to the zone 2 seat Monday, filling a vacancy left after former board member Keith Stokes resigned in May. Carter, who has a 16-year-old son attending Dardanelle High School, will serve on the board until September, when school board elections are scheduled. Carter said he looks forward to serving on the board, and is currently planning...

Love at first sightIt’s not your typical love story. There is no Prince Charming, although John might disagree, and there is no heroine waiting to be rescued. There are, however, more than 600 children whose lives have been molded and forever changed by the special love and dedication of Crawford Elementary first-grade teacher Donna Przybys. Her love story begins with a young girl who dreamed of becoming a teacher. Her grandmother taught in a one-room school hou...

Russellville students wrap up school yearWith the school year soon coming to a close, Russellville School District students are staying busy with many activities and events. At Oakland Heights Elementary School, students just completed a school-wide two-week study of Arkansas. They also had the annual turtle derby. The event consisted of turtle races, field events, and education on turtles. This week, they had field days for all grades and are ending the week with a talent show. Next...

An artist's touchWhile many Arkansas Tech University (ATU) students hit the books in preparation for final exams this week, 17 students in a 3D Design course went to Norman Hall and transformed the building with their final projects of the year. Visiting instructor of art Garry Holstein said the final project he assigned to his students required them to transform an area in or around Norman Hall. “It’s an opportunity to think about sculpture in a different way...

ATU enrollment, graduation rates at inclineIn a world full of technological advances and new trends among students, officials at Arkansas Tech University (ATU) have found ways to keep the school’s prospects interested and focused on post-secondary education as ATU has found itself at a steady incline of graduating students. The number of degrees awarded by ATU has found itself rising in the last 18 years — 711 degrees for the 1993-94 academic year and 1,993 for the 2010-11 year. While ...